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<title>Drenched In What Ifs by RosemaryLeo</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995936">Drenched In What Ifs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosemaryLeo/pseuds/RosemaryLeo'>RosemaryLeo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Short One Shot, Unwound Future Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:40:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosemaryLeo/pseuds/RosemaryLeo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Luke panics and throws his juice at Clive.<br/>Set during Unwound/Lost Future</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hershel Layton &amp; Luke Triton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Drenched In What Ifs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moment the Professor reveals Big Luke’s true nature the change is instant. Big Luke, no Clive’s previously kind expression morphs into something much more sinister. The man is laughing now. It’s the kind that’s loud and mocking.</p><p>Luke lets Clive’s words fade into the background and stares. Of course, Luke knows it’s ungentlemanly, but he couldn’t help it. Though to be fair he was only looking at the eyes. Luke knows those eyes. It’s hate and fury and grief: a mix of emotions that spark the irrational. And that means that whatever Clive does next, it will be dangerous.</p><p>He isn’t sure what spurs him into action. It’s probably the moment Clive moves but before Luke realises it, he’s swiped his juice off the table and hurled its contents at the man. A loud thwack is heard alongside the splash of liquid as the drink hits Clive square in the face. Luke cringes at the sight of the rather large ice cube making its mark on the man standing in front of him.</p><p>The room stills.</p><p>It’s the professor who speaks first. ‘Luke,’ he says.</p><p>Luke places the now empty glass back on the table. ‘Sorry Professor.’ Throwing juice at someone’s face isn’t gentlemanly, even if said person was in fact a villain.</p><p>He hears a muffled giggle from Celeste. ‘Well, that’s one way to de-escalate the situation.’</p><p>The professor sighs. ‘Certainly, though I’m sure there were better options.’</p><p>The comment seems to knock Clive out of his shock and back into action. He makes a move to run forward but is halted by Inspector Chelmey.</p><p>‘You’re not going anywhere,’ the Inspector says.</p><p>As soon as the Inspector cuffs the young man Luke feels his shoulders slump, the tension bleeding from his body. Though the relief is fleeting considering Clive is now glaring at him. Brilliant.</p><p>Luke turns and makes his way over to the Professor. ‘What now Professor?’</p><p>‘I suppose we let the Inspector do his job, but I must ask, Luke, what caused you to act in such a manner?’</p><p>He glances up at the professor, he’d thought it was obvious. ‘My parents are in London.’</p><p>Oddly enough the moment he finishes speaking he notices that Clive is no longer glaring at him.</p><p>***</p><p>Clive is furious. He clenches his now cuffed hands as he glares at the boy that had ruined his plans. As he continues to stare Clive briefly notes that the Professor seems to be observing him. When the older man speaks, they make eye contact for perhaps a second. Odd, he thinks, though he never truly gets the chance to wonder why.</p><p>‘My parents are in London.’</p><p>It’s a single sentence, a measly five words, and yet each one pierces him. They’re spoken by the boy he’d pretended to be. It had been an advantage to look so similar to the Professor’s so-called apprentice, it feels less so now.</p><p>Clive is thrown back to the day of the explosion. The day he’d stood next to the Professor crying. It’s almost funny how Luke and the Professor seem to mirror the image. He would laugh if it weren’t for the realisation of what he’d almost done and what could have been.</p><p>How many would have died by his hand? How many of them would have been parents? How many children would experience what Bill and Dimitri had done to him? Clive lets the questions wash over him. The what ifs and hows circle around in his mind. He feels the stickiness of the juice on his face. He laughs. Perhaps this was for the best.</p>
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